Base-ball mask



2 Sheets.-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. REACH. BASE BALL MASK (No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheet 2,

B. REACH. BASE, BALL MASK.

Patented June 7, 1887. I

W050i? Q 351 his al'tozum -s I NITED STATES PATENT Drains.

' ROBERT REACH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BASE-BALL'MASK.

QPECIPICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,543, date-d June 7, 1887.

Application filed March 2, 1887. Serial No. 229,438. (No model.)

' in the combination and arrangement of the parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a .front view of my improved mask for baseball players. dinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the'same. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of a section of the inflated pad ,and Fig. 5 is'a front elevation of 'a modification.

In the embodiment of my invention I construct or make the mask A, which is adapted to be worn on the face of the ball-player, of a series of curved horizontal wires or members, a a a? a a (P, the wires or members a, a a and a being connected at their ends to the innermost wire of an oval side frame, a. This innermost wire of the oval side frame is jointed by overlapping its looped ends, as shown, and is provided with the approximate contour or outline of the face from the chin upward, being placed next to the face when the mask is worn. This oval side frame is composed of two rigid stout wire supplementary frames or wings, O O, the purpose of which will' appear further on. To either side of the mask, near the ripper and'lower horizontal portions of the oval side frame,-are connected the ends of a longitudinal wire or member, b, which ends are bent at right angles to the vertical or main portion of saidwire before passing and securing their looped ends around the oval side frame, a. b are connected or secured the looped ends of ,the intermediate horizontal wires, a a, which are also caused to iuclasp or are secured to additional wires, an opening or space, B, being left between the wires or membersa a to give adequate viewing range for the player.

To the extreme outer curved portion of the Fig. 2 is a Vertical or longitu- To these longitudinal wires or membersv horizontal wire or member a is connected the upper forward looped end of a central bracing wire, b, which is inclasped, as shown in Fig. 1, by the wires or members a a", and secured at its lower end to the lower horizontal portion of the oval side frame, a. To the upper horizontal portion of this oval side frame 1s connected the upper rear end of an inclined strengthening or supporting wire or member,

0, which is bent and curved through a loop of the horizontal wire a and passed upwardly and bent through a loop formed in the wire or member a, whereby said wires are greatly strengthened at their outer curved portion, so as to resist any inward pressure caused by a ball striking against the mask.

D is an approximately-oval rubber air-chamber or cushion, which in practice is inclosed within a strong leather jacket, (1, which jacket has projecting pieces or side extensions, (2, apertured throughout their entire length, the purpose of which will soon appear. After placing the air-chamber D within the leather jacket d the same is securely held by stitching end thereof being designed to fit over and in- I close a hole or'ap'erture formed in the tube (I the purpose of which will appear hereinafter, This air-chamber, together with its-inclosing jacket, is secured to the mask by means of a long continuous leather lacing, 0, passed through eyelet-apertures of the extensions (1 of said jacket, and thus secured, a smooth surface is presented on the rear side of the mask. The opening or space before referred to as being provided in the lower or chin end of the jacket is designed to permit the tube (1 to project thercthrough, and when it is desired to inflate the air-chamber prior to the employment of the mask in a game of ball, the inner end of the outer or second tube, dfl'is turned or forced back upon itself, and by blowing through the hole or aperture formed in the center of the tube (1 the air-chamber will be filled with air, causing its expansion, together with its inelosing-jacket. After sufficient air has been secured in said air-chamber, the same will be retained therein by first catching with two fingers the tube d at a point between its 1nner end and the aperture formed therein, and then turning to its former place the inner end of the tube (1 which will by reason of its tight fitting over the aperture prevent any possible escape of air. These tubes are then bent into'the open end of the jacket, which open end is closed by means of a short lacing, also passed through eyelet-openings in the extensions of the jacket, as shown.

E is an elastic or other strap, one end of which is connected or looped to one side of the mask, while its other end is adapted to be buckled to the opposite side of said mask,and by means of this strap, which is passed around the head of the wearer, the mask is secured in position.

One of the principal advantages of my invention consists in providing an inflated chamber, which forms a continuous surface for contact with the face of the wearer,.and thereby dispensing with all chin-rests and foreheadbands, which have proved insuflicient to protect the wearer from the detrimental effect of jarring and concussion caused by the striking of a ball against the mask.

I do not restrict myself to the exact construction of the mask as above detailed, for, without departing from the spirit of my invention,the same may be constructed as shown in Fig. 5. In this form of myinvention the middle or intermediate ones of the curved transverse wires or members whose inner ends are fastened or looped around the side frame are indented or erimped, as at c, alternately in and out, as are also the two innermost longitudinal wires or members, 0'0, and these transverse and longitudinal wires or members alternately intersect or cross each other upon opposite sides at their indentations or crimp portions, whereby they are adapted to interlock each other, bracing and giving additional strength to the mask, and to rest at their intermediate portions or surfaces as well as their points of intersection flush with each other. This eonstruction,it will be seen, forms a firm substantial net work, which guards the face of the player or wearer from liability of being struck and seriously wounded th'creat, and effectively resists the force of the ball as against the indentation of the mask should the ball happen to strike it as the player is attempting to catch the ball; also, the two most salient or middle transverse wires or members, a a, those about centrally of the face are disposed somewhat farther apart than the others, are curved, the upper one upward and the lower one downward or away from each other, as at e e, at each side of the mask, about opposite the eyes of the wearer, for the obvious reason to give adequate viewing range for the player. The intermediate longitudinal wires or members extend, the lower ones from the lower middle transverse wire or member, (to which they are fastened or looped,) and are looped or fastened to the lower end transverse wire or member, as before stated, while the two upper ones of the said intermediate wires or members are connected to the upper middle transverse wire or member, and extend to the upper end transverse wire or member of the mask, thus leaving an extended opening, 6 upon and between each side of the middle longitudinal wire or member and the innermost longitudinal side wires or members to further aid the range of vision. The middle longitudinal or bridge wire or member may only extend and be connected at its upper end to the transverse wire next to the upper end wire of the mask, as shown.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The mask for ballplayers, composed of a series of longitudinal and horizontal wires with looped portions, the oval side frame, and the air cushion, incloscd within a leather jacket having apertured extensions through which a lacing is passed forsccuring the same to said frame, all arranged substantially as shown and described. i

2. In a base-ball mask, the combination, with the series of wires or members, of the upper centrally-disposed inclined strengthening or supporting wire or member, secured at one end to the oval wire and bracing the upper horizontal wires or members at their outer curved portions,and the lower central bracingwire, arranged substantially as shown and described.

3. In a base-ball mask, the in flated cushion comprising the rubber air-chamber having the rubber tubes, the leather jacket inclosing said chamber, and thelacing securing the same to the mask, substantially as shown and de-' scribed.

4. The combination, with the mask and the air-chamber, of the tube secured thereto having a central aperture and the outer tube fitted on said former tube and having one end covering said aperture, substantially as shown, and for the purpose described.

5. In a base-ball mask, the combination, with the air-chamber, of the leather inelosingjacket having apertured side extensions, and the lacing passed through said apertures, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof Iaifix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT REACH.

\Vitnesses:

J. Nora MeGrLL, HOWARD J. ScnNnIDnn. 

